Billfold with secret compartment



A. A. SEAMON BILLFOLD WITH SECRET COMPQBEMENT July 6, 1948.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 22, 1945 ABRAHAM A. SEAMON INVENTOR BYWM ATTORNEY July 6, 1948. A. A. SEAMON 2,444,581

BILLFOLD WITH SECRET COMPARTMENT Filed Oct. 22, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 rm m N 3 I I I w I N I m I a f e I I G 3I l I I d I q Fig.3

It I II I s c I I I I G, I I L ABRAHAM ALSEAMON INVENTOR.

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Filed Oct. 22, 1945 A. A. SEAMON BILLFOLD WITH SECRET COMPARTMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ABRAHAM A.SEAMON INVENT OR.

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BILLFOLD WITH SECRET COMPARTMENT Filed Oct. 22, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 e e a m m q -E 2 r r g 9, m 0 I r m V fia i l L I Ely- 7 I W ABRAHAM A.SEAMON INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented July 6, 1948 OCCli-Lli BILLFOLD WITH SECRET COMPARTMENT Abraham A. Seamon, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to A. & L. Seamon, Brooklyn, N. Y., a firm Application October 22, 1945, Serial No. 623,687

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement, of concealed or secret compartments in billfolds.

An object of this invention is to provide a blllfold having a fully v conceale secret and normally invisible com 3- large dehomiif ion or important papers may be concealed from view during use of the blllfold, but which secret compartment can be quickly opened for access to its contents.

Another object of this invention is to provide a blllfold which shall embody an improved construction and combination of front and rear walls and two partitions between said walls to form a secret compartment and a normally exposable bill compartment, both of said compartments being controlled by flexible slide fasteners having tapes, one tape being integral with the front partition and the other tape being integral with the rear wall of the billfold, and the tape which is integral with the rear wall overlying the entire upper edge of the rear partition.

Another object of this invention is to attach both partitions to the billfold only along their upright side edges, with the entire upper edge portion of the rear partition unattached to the billfold, and furthermore to considerably round both upper edge portions of the rear partition so that the entire upper edge portlon of the rear partition is free to flex all along its length.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described and the combination and arrangement of parts will be shown in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claim which forms a part of this specification.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the billfold with the .lide fastener in open position and showing a partition for the secret compartment with the upper edge of the partition covered by the slide fastener.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the blllfold with the slide fastener in open position and showing the secret compartment in open position.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the billfold, partly broken away to show the upper portion of the partition which forms the secret compartment.

Figure 4 is a central cross-sectional view, the

- section being taken as on line 4-4 in Figure 3.

and showing the slide fastener in closed position. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view, the section 2 being taken as on line 44 in Figure 3 and showing the normally exposed bill compartment in open position.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view, the section being taken as on line 4-4 in Figure 3 and showing the secret and the normally exposable compartments in open position.

Figure 7 is a plan view of a modified billfold, partly broken away to show the upper portion of a partition which forms the scret compartment.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view, the section being taken as on line 8-8 in Figure 7 and showing the partition covered with the upper portion of a slide fastener.

In the illustrated embodiments of the invention, the numeral Ill indicates a blllfold comprisin a front wall II, and a rear wall l2, the said walls being permanently joined at their upright or sidewise edges l3, l4 by any suitable means, such as by a row of stitching ii. The front wall II and the rear wall l2 may be integrally joined at the bottom edge by a folded portion I6. The front wall II is of less height than the rear wall l2.

The billfold ID has a pocket [1, arranged to provide suitable space for storing papers and the like, as is well known in the art.

The upper edge portion l8 of the rear wall i2 is downfolded inwardly of the billfold and fixed to the rear wall by stitching 20 all along its length. A flexible tape 2| carrying slide fastener elements 22 is secured underneath the downfolded edge l8 and extends downwardly sufllciently so as to produce a hinge action.

A front partition 23 and a rear partition 24 of substantially the same length as the rear wall l2 are secured in the pocket I! and form front and rear compartments, 25 and 26, in the blllfold.

The upper edge of the partition 24 is positioned below the lower edge of the downfolded body portion of the rear wall I2. The partitions 23, 24 are secured to the front and rear walls ll, l2 at their upright side edges 21, 24, leaving the upper edge portion of the partition 24 free to flex all along its length.

The slide fastener tape 2| overhangs the rear partition 24 and forms a flexible flap for closing and concealing the rear compartment 28.

A complementary flexible tape 30 carrying slide fastener elements 3| is secured to the upper edge of the front partition 23 and coacts with the first mentioned slide fastener elements 22 for closing or opening the entrance to the compartment 25.

Both ends of the upper edge portion of the' 3 rear partition 24 are rounded as shown at 29 to facilitate the free flexing of the entire upper edge portion of the rear partition 24.

It is'to be noted that the partition 23 is of lesser height .than the height of the partition 24. The slide fastener is equipped at one end with a suitable stop 33 and at the opposite end with a slider 34.

The slider is made of the usual construction and designed so that the cooperating slide fas tener elements may be separated from each other or attached to each other without complete separation.

When the slider is moved to open position, the rear partition 24 may be moved from under the slide fastener towards the front partition 23 whereby the secret compartment 26 becomes visible.

The upper edge portion l8 of the rear wall I2 is folded over and immovably fixed by stitching 2|] to the rear wall. The flexible tape 2| forms a hinge action considerably below the top edge of the folded rear wall.

The billfold In comprises a compartment 25 for bills of small denomination and a secret compartment 26 for bills of large denomination. The front wall of the secret compartment 26 appears to be the lining of the billfold, without any visible appearance of the secret compartment when the slide fastener is open. The billfold l may be of any suitable material generally employed in making billfolds, such as leather or imitation leather.

While I have illustrated the type of billfold l0 which is folded midway of its length, I may make the billfold so that the said midway fold may be disposed at any other point between the transverse ends thereof.

Figures '7 and 8 show a modified billfold 35 comprising a front wall 36 and a rear wall 31, the said walls being joined at their upright or sidewise edges 38, 39 by stitching 40.

The front wall 36 and the rear wall 31 may be integrally joined at the bottom edge of the billfold by a folded portion 4|. The front wall 36 is of less height than the rear wall 31.

The billfold 35 has a pocket 42 arranged to provide suitable storage space similar to the pocket I! shown in Figures 1 to 6 inclusive.

The upper edge portion 43 of the rear wall 31 I is not folded and has a straight, unbroken linear edge. A flexible woven tape 2|, carrying slide fastener elements 22 is in line with the upper edge 43 and is secured thereto by stitching 44. The flexible woven tape 2| extends downwardly sufficiently so as to produce a flexible hinge action. The flexibility of this woven tape permits the upper portion of the slide fastener to fold over a partition 45 and readily assumes a lowered position in overlapping relation with the partition 45. The partition 45 is of substantially the same length as the rear wall 31. It fits within the lengthwise extent of the boundaries of the billfold.

The upper edge portion of the partition 45 is unsecured along its entire length and is free to flex along its entire length.

A complementary flexible tape 30, carrying slide fastener elements 3| is secured to the upper edge of the front wall 36 and co-acts with the first mentioned slide fastener elements 22 for closing or opening the entrance to the compartment 41.

Both upper corners of the upper edge portion of the partition 45 are rounded as shown at 45 to facilitate the free flexing of the entire upper edge portion of the partition 45.

It is to be noted that the slidable closure means 34 is also employed in the modification shown in Figures '7 and 8. This closure means causes automatic closing of the secret compartment when the slidable closure means is moved into closing position, that is, due to the fact that both the tap and the slider overlap the upper edge portion of the partition for the secret compartment, the slider causes the tape to move downward and the partition to move rearwardly into concealment. This rearward movement of the partition for the secret compartment permits the slide fastener to close. In other words, the closing of the slider forces the upper tape to conceal the secret pocket by overlapping.

It is also to be noted that the partition which forms the secret compartment may be sewed on the bottom only or it may be sewed on the bottom and on the two upright sides or it may be sewed on the two upright sides only.

By merely closing the slidable closure of the slide fastener this closing action automatically closes and sets in place the partition forming the secret compartment. Upon opening the slide fastener, the partition stays in place and looks like the lining of the billfold.

It is to be noted that while it may be possible to provide a hinge action by folding the top portion of the rear side of the billfold, that, due to the fact that leather, of which billfolds are generally made, has little flexibility, it is not practical to provide such a hinge action. Due to the fact that the hinge-action closure shown in the various embodiments of this invention is provided with what is generally a highly flexible woven tape, which is well known in the art, this tape has a much higher degree of flexibility than a folded piece of leather and the importance of the structure herein disclosed is evident from a practical viewpoint.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described and illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention, but it will be understood that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

In a billfold having front and rear walls secured together to form a,po cket containing front and rearpartitlons and front and rear compartments, said rear partition being higher than said front partition, the upper edge portion of said rear wall carrying a flexible tape and slide fastener elements, said slide fastener elements being positioned lower thahilie upper edge portion of said rear partition, said slide fastener elements extending sufficiently downwardly and lying in fully contacting and covering relation with the upper edge portion of said rearpartition and directly concealing the opening to said rear compartment, thereby forming a5: secret compartment between said rear wall and saidYa'r partition, said partitions being secured to said front and rear walls all along their upright edges, said front partition carrying a complementary flexible tape and slide fastener elements secured to the upper edge thereof and coacting with said slide fastener elements on said rear wall for opening or closing the entrance to said front compartment without disclosing the entrance to said secret compartment and while said secret compartment remains concealed inside said billfold,

the covering relation of said upper slide fastener elements over said rear partition causing said rear partition to be pushed beneath said upper slidef-astefier elements during the action of cl0sing said fastener elements. 5

ABRAHAM A. SEAMON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent:

Number VUI L15! UUIH 

